Importers, car companies, motorists and leasing companies standing up together with Natuur en Milieu: that must be a very special opponent. Indeed, the new cabinet has managed to get Bovag, RAI Vereniging, ANWB and VNA on the same page with an environmental organisation. Together they express their dissatisfaction with the plans that the Schoof cabinet has for car-related taxes. “In terms of mobility, it is disappointing on all fronts”, according to RAI Vereniging in a press release about the budget: “The plans leave much to be desired in terms of affordability, sustainability, traffic safety and accessibility.” Delaying the transition Major tightening measures are imminent, particularly in the mrb (motor vehicle tax), which could delay the transition. At the moment, fully electric cars are still exempt from mrb. With the growing share of EVs on the road, this full exemption must of course come to an end in the (long) term and in the spring budget 2024 from April of this year, the caretaker cabinet announced a staggered reduction. This included a percentage discount compared to the rate for fuel cars. The full exemption would remain in effect until 1 January 2026. In 2026, 2027 and 2028, fully electric cars would enjoy a rate discount of 40 percent, during 2029 35 percent and in 2030 the discount had to be 25 percent. This reduction had already been approved by the First and Second Chambers, but that did not stop the new cabinet from cutting the plans. That shoots down the previous reduction schedule, because, as can be read in the budget memorandum, “the new figures show that the budgetary loss is considerably higher than previously estimated”. To make up for this setback, the government wants to reduce the rate reduction to 25 percent from 2026 to 2029, to 0 percent from 2030. More MRB than on a car with a combustion engine In fact, this means that from 2030 you will pay more MRB with an emission-free passenger car than with a car with a combustion engine, since the battery brings hundreds of kilos of extra weight with it. How this can work out in practice, we calculate using an Opel Astra, because it is available as an ICE, PHEV and EV. We register it in the province of North Holland and there the MRB for this car on petrol (1,276 kg) is €760 per year. The plug-in hybrid puts 1,578 kg on the scale and that comes to €1,068 per year. And then the fully electric Astra. At the moment it is still exempt from mrb, with the plans of the previous cabinet (40 percent rate reduction) you would end up with €506 per year in 2026. The current cabinet wants to limit the reduction to 25 percent and then the mrb will amount to €801 per year. From 2030, you will pay the full whack for this car, based on the current mrb rates, based on the weight (1,636 kg) and then you will receive a tax assessment of €267 every three months. That is €1,068 per year for an emission-free car: €308 more than the comparable car with a combustion engine. Please note: we have assumed the current rates in these calculations. In addition to the mrb, the bpm for electric cars will also count. Although the budget does not mention bpm (apart from the expiry of the exemption on vans for entrepreneurs), we do already know that the full exemption for EVs will expire. The bpm amount consists of a fixed amount, increased by an amount determined by the CO2 emissions. This fixed amount, which is currently €440, is expected to increase by €200. For conventional cars, an amount will be added that depends on the CO2 emissions. The latter obviously does not apply to EVs, but the fixed amount will be introduced, although it will reportedly be lower, probably 360. The purchase subsidies of €2,950 have also been cancelled. Subject to the correctness of the new fixed amount, a new EV would then become €3,310 more expensive. Dropping out ANWB boss Marga de Jager acknowledges that purchase subsidies and MRB exemption for electric cars will have to come to an end at some point: “But the speed at which these incentive measures are now being phased out is so high that we think people will drop out.” The ANWB calls on the government to ensure that switching to electric driving must be affordable if the objectives in this area are to be achieved. Inconvenient A significantly higher purchase price and ditto mrb for electric cars: it is extra inconvenient now that the sale of electric cars, not only in the Netherlands, but also in the rest of Europe, has been stagnating for months. This not only endangers the objective of selling only emission-free cars from 2030 onwards, but also the car manufacturers themselves, who have expected, planned and invested in much faster EV growth.
Source: www.autoweek.nl
